A Boy Alone
by KaribbeanBloo
Summary: Long before Sasuke and Itachi were targets, Orochimaru hunted another boy with the Sharingan...Kakashi. R&R!
1. An Unburied Hero

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. I wish I did…but I don't. (sigh) such is life…

**A/N: I got the idea for this while I was re-reading Naruto. There is a part in Vol. 8 in the book where Kakashi, after sealing the curse mark on Sasuke's neck, meets up with Orochimaru. And I noticed that the two of them seemed rather friendly…but maybe it was just that version. So I went to the downloaded English translations that my friend got for me off of some website to double-check…and lo and behold, there it was again! So I thought "Well, hey! I'll write a story about that!"**

**The timeframe for this is when Kakashi is 13, and it takes place right after the manga filler arc of Kakashi Gaiden. I know some of you probably haven't read that, but don't worry, I put in a little synopsis of the whole thing in the beginning of the story so you won't get lost. Apart from this first chapter, it really will not have much to do with Kakashi Gaiden…and I promise there are no major spoilers for the plot of Naruto if you haven't read ahead. If you don't know what Kakashi Gaiden is about and you don't think I did a very good job summarizing it (which is possible) or you want to know more, go to wikipedia, type in Naruto, go to the bottom of the page where it'll show all sorts of articles you can get to (very bottom of the page) and click on Kakashi Gaiden. Having read the story, I can safely say it's a pretty good summary.**

**Anyway, enough of that. This is all based on that conversation between Kakashi and Orochimaru. I kind of thought that maybe, since they knew each other, it would be because Kakashi had once been Orochimaru's target, like Sasuke is. Because Kakashi has the Sharingan too!**

**Enjoy!

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The village of Konohagakure no Sato- the Village Hidden in the Leaves- was grey and dismal that day, as if all the world mourned for the loss of the flower of Konoha. Many ninja had died in the secret war with the Village Hidden in the Rocks, Iwagakure no Sato, that had lasted so long and resulted in so much bloodshed. But finally the war came to an end…and the shinobi who died on the fields of battle were hailed as heroes, the tales of their deeds told as legends…

One of the greatest legends told was that of the Battle of Kanabi Bridge, and of the young three-man team trained by Konoha's Yellow Flash, the man who would one day become the Fourth Hokage. Uchiha Obito and the young medic Rin were sent to destroy the bridge and cut off enemy supply lines, led by their teammate, the Jonin Hatake Kakashi. But before they could complete their mission, Rin was captured, and Obito abandoned their task to rescue her…

He was ambushed on his way there, nearly costing him his life and their mission, but Kakashi came between him and death, saving his life…at the cost of his left eye, which was damaged while he attempted to protect Obito.

They managed to rescue Rin, but not without paying a terrible price. For when they had managed to free her, the enemy triggered a rock slide, and in order to save Kakashi Obito sacrificed himself. Trapped beneath a rock and dying, he gave Kakashi his left eye, with its newly awakened Sharingan…

…On that day, the boy who would later become the renowned Copycat Ninja was born as a hero. Later, the name of Sharingan Kakashi would be known throughout the Five Shinobi nations, known as the name of a fierce shinobi and an excellent ninja. All Konoha would respect the name Hatake Kakashi.

But for now, he is only a young boy, gifted with a strange power he was never intended for…a boy without family and few friends…

A boy alone…

* * *

There was no funeral for Uchiha Obito. Buried beneath a pile of rocks somewhere between Konoha and Iwa, there was no body to bury that did not already lie beneath the earth. He was not the only one with such a fate; many Konoha shinobi who fell on the battlefield went unburied during and after the way…for there was nothing to bury. Instead, the Third Hokage held a memorial for those who had died in the line of duty, so that all could come to honor the brave men and women who were casualties of ware.

"We are gathered here," began the Hokage. "to pay tribute to those who could not be here today. The brave shinobi, our friends and companions, who selflessly died so that all of us could continue to live; who went to war to protect our village, our way of life, and our right to exist."

In the crowd of people gathered stood Hatake Kakashi, stoic and alone, with Rin nearby. She had long ago dissolved into hysterical tears, standing between here parents, crying loudly into her mother's side. Beyond her were Obito's mother and father, shedding silent tears for the son they could never see again. He looked around him at all the people, together, not alone. They all had someone to share their grief with…everyone but him. He felt tears come to his eyes; he wiped them away before anyone could notice.

"It seems unfair that they should die for us- that such a sacrifice should be necessary at any time, for any reason. I wish with all my heart that it could not be so, that all this bloodshed could be undone…but wishing cannot bring back the dead. There is not art that can undo death, no matter how much we may wish for it."

The Hokage paused for a moment, too choked up to continue. His head bent, as if weighed down by so much grief, and Kakashi saw tears fall from his old and tired face to the ground.

"Remember these men and women, Konoha. Remember what they did for us in our hour of need. Remember those who were brave, who risked everything for us. Remember their courage, their sacrifice, their fate. Remember who they were in life, and honor their memories as those of true heroes."

He place his hand on the memorial stone and bent his head again, paying respect. His tears fell harder now, tears of regret for the shinobi he had led into war, never to return again. Then the Hokage turned away, allowing the crowd to swell forward to say its goodbyes.

Kakashi could not cry. He stood motionless as the crowd moved forward around him, unable to shake the feeling that this was, in a way, his own funeral, that it was he they wept for, that it was his name carved into the stone and not Obito's…

* * *

"Is that him?" whispered Orochimaru, snake-like eyes widening in delight.

"Yes, sir," replied his companion. "Hatake Kakashi. Now Kakashi of the Sharingan."

"Hmmm…" Orochimaru licked his grey lips. "How interesting. But only in one eye."

They were hidden in the crowd of mourners, watching the young boy with one black eye, one red.

"It wasn't his, originally," his companion informed him. "It belonged to his teammate, an Uchiha, who gave it to him when he was dying…to replace an eye Kakashi had lost."

"I see…" Orochimaru looked him up and down, sizing him up as he would a pig he intended to butcher, while his companion waited in silence for the final verdict.

"He'll do nicely for my plans."

* * *

"Kakashi!" Rin threw herself in his arms, burying her face in his shoulder. He tensed in spite of himself, then patter her back awkwardly.

"It's okay, Rin…"

"Okay!" she shrieked, pulling away furiously. "How can you say that!" She pulled back her hand and slapped him hard across the face.

"He was our friend! And you…you're just standing there…you're not even crying!" She began to sob harder, tears falling like rain. "He was our friend…he was our friend…"

"Rin," said Kakashi gently. "We all deal with grief differently. Please, let me deal with mine in my own way."

She sniffled, and wiped her eyes on the back of her hand.

"Yeah, I guess…" She tried to smile. "I have something for you."

"What is it?"

Wordlessly, she pressed a pair of goggles into his hand and walked away, to rejoin her parents.

Kakashi stared down at Obito's goggles, feeling the weight of the moment pressing down on his shoulders. He felt so tired, so drained of all energy; he would have liked to go home and sleep.

But there was something he had to do first.

Alone now, as always, he walked to the memorial stone and got on his knees to examine it. He ran his hand over the names, coming to stop on the characters that read:

Uchiha Obito

The tears came without warning; he doubled over, crying soundlessly, resting his head against the stone, allowing his tears to flow over his face and the name of his friend. Above him, the sky began to cry too, first a slow drizzle, then a massive downpour. It soaked him to the skin, and washed away his tears from his face. It seemed like the whole world was mourning the tragedy that would require a thirteen year-old boy to die in battle.

He didn't know how long he cried at the memorial stone; he had no idea how long he sat there even after the tears stopped, alone in the rain. But at last he rose, stiff and tired, goggles in hand, and resolved to go home.

For a moment longer he stood beneath the rain, lost in memory. Then, he gently placed the goggles on the stone, and turned away.

"Goodbye…" he whispered, and began the long walk home through the rain.

Not knowing he was being watched.


	2. Dark Designs

**Disclaimer: **It's a bummer, but I don't own Naruto.

**A/N: New character! Sasori is a bad guy from the second major arc of Naruto. He's one of the Akatsuki (the organization that Itachi Uchiha belongs to). He's pretty nifty, actually...I really like him, he's my favorite villain. Anyway, I needed a bad guy and I was just like "HEY! Sasori!" Plus, when Orochimaru was one of the Akatsuki he and Sasori were partners.

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"Sasori of the Red Sand?"

If Orochimaru felt any shock at seeing the young criminal on his doorstep, he didn't show it.

"You are Orochimaru?" the young man drawled.

"Yes," He stepped aside, allowing his visitor to enter. "Please, come in."

On better inspection, he didn't look like much of a criminal. He appeared, in fact, to be incredibly young for someone so infamously talented, maybe seventeen or eighteen, with the pale skin and reddish-brown hair typical of those from Suna. His heavily-lidded eyes gave him a look of perpetual sleepiness, while his black robes, decorated with red clouds, gave him a ghostly appearance.

"You called me here," Sasori said in his soft, gentle voice. "You made contact with the Akatsuki and requested to speak with me. So I am here."

"Obviously." Orochimaru smiled wickedly. "I wish to discuss matters of the soul with you."

Sasori raised an eyebrow. "Indeed." He took great care in sitting down, a fact which made Orochimaru's grin grow wider still.

"I have heard through my sources that you managed to turn yourself into a living puppet." Orochimaru began. "Is this true?"

Sasori inclined his head in acknowledgment.

"How did you manage to do such a thing without dying…without losing your soul?"

Sasori smiled slightly. "That is my secret."

"I see." Orochimaru sighed.

"What about yourself?" Sasori retorted. "I've heard of you, too- the man who wants to master every jutsu in the world. An ambitious feat, but how do you intend to accomplish it? Such a thing would take more than one lifetime."

"Another secret. One I don't intend to share with you."

"This would go easier if you would just ask your question outright instead of dancing around the issue. What did you really bring me here to ask?" Sasori leaned forward conspiritorily. "Don't you trust me?"

"Of course not." replied Orochimaru.

Sasori laughed, a young child's sound of delight. Orochimaru tensed, angry at his amusement. He hadn't said anything funny, had he? What was this brat laughing about?

"Well, if that's all…" chuckled Sasori, getting up to go.

"No, it damn well isn't all!" He seized Sasori's arm and yanked him back down; inwardly he shuddered at the inhuman woodenness of the other man's flesh.

"You seem to know a great deal about souls," Orochimaru said harshly. "So I need to know: Is it possible to transfer one's soul to another body?"

Sasori froze halfway out of his seat.

"Wh…what?" Shock was painted on his face like a carnival mask. Orochimaru waited patiently for him to recover his composure.

"I…I suppose it's possible…" he whispered finally. "No, I'm certain its possible. But…to develop such a jutsu…"

"…Is more possible than you think." Orochimaru finished for him. "Indeed, I have already done so."

Sasori gaped.

"I just need an expert's opinion on it." He smiled, looking more snake than man.

"I see." There was a slight tremor in Sasori's soft, monotonous voice. "I think, then, that this concludes our conversation."

Orochimaru took a strange, perverted pleasure in seeing the young man's shaky progress to the door. Provoking reactions was one of his favorite pastimes; breaking the composure of someone as cool and aloof as Sasori was a special thrill.

"You're welcome to come back and see the finished result." said Orochimaru, following him to the door.

Sasori nodded. "Maybe I will." Then he stepped out into the night and was swallowed up by the darkness. Smiling to himself, Orochimaru turned to the small snake that had slithered into the house.

"What news of our young friend?" he asked the snake politely.

"Hatake Kakashi is currently at the memorial stone," the snake hissed. "With those damned Ninken."

"Ah, yes, the Ninja Dogs!" Orochimaru laughed. "Well, shall we pay them a visit? The sooner we can win him over, the better, wouldn't you agree?"

Laughing to himself, he wandered out into the night, the snake following in his wake.


	3. Spies and Manipulations

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. Life is unfair like that

**A/N:** **This story keeps deleting somehow...I think my sister has discoverd my account and enjoys messing with me. Oh well.**

**I have noticed something interesting! Like Tenten, Gaara and his siblings do not have a last name.**

**Just a random observation

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It was a perfect night, thought for many days it had rained nonstop, a constant downpour that dampened everyone's spirits and heightened the sense of tragedy in Konohagakure. But tonight the full moon shone like a lantern in the star-hung sky, illuminating far below the memorial stone and the young man with silver hair.

Kakashi leaned against the stone, absentmindedly scratching behind the ear of one of his Ninja Dogs, trained by him since he was five and summoned whenever he wished. Since his father's suicide five years ago they had become his almost constant companions—a young boy's substitute for the parents he no longer had. They lay scattered around him now, completely at ease.

On a whim, he reached for Obito's goggles, which still sat on top of the memorial stone. He pulled them down to rest on his face, covering his mismatched eyes.

"What do you think?" he jokingly asked the nearest dog. "Is it me?"

The dog grinned, in that way dogs do, and rolled onto its back, offering up its tummy for scratching. Kakashi laughed.

"I guess that's a no."

He leaned back and looked up into the sky, smiling through the sudden tears. One dog whined, and pressed its nose into Kakashi's hand to comfort him.

"Just a bit of dirt in my eye," he muttered, echoing Obito's excuse, though he knew, as he himself had pointed out to Obito, that the goggles protected his eyes from dirt.

"There is no shame in mourning a fallen comrade, Hatake Kakashi."

The dogs sprang to their feet, snarling and howling, circling the dark form of a man who had appeared out of nowhere. Kakashi stood too, drawing a kunai knife.

"Calm down," said a familiar voice. "It is only me, Orochimaru." He raised his hands in the universal gesture of peace.

"Oh." Kakashi was embarrassed to be seen like this by one of the village's most respected shinobi. He turned his face away quickly the hide the tears on his face.

"Is there something you wanted, sir?" he asked, attempting to distract Orochimaru.

"No, no." He waved a grey hand dismissively. "Merely to talk to you." He attempted to take a step forward but found his path blocked by the dogs' bared teeth. "Um…do you mind calling them off?"

Kakashi did mind, but he couldn't say so. "Oh, of course. It's alright, boys. You can go home."

The eight dogs vanished in puffs of smoke.

* * *

Sasori breathed a sigh of relief, high above in the treetops. The disappearance of the dogs gave him the opportunity he needed to slip in closer, to overhear the conversation going on below.

_Alright, Orochimaru,_ he thought. _Let's see what your game is…

* * *

_

"My dear boy," Orochimaru said softly, turning Kakashi's face towards him. "Your friend has gifted you with incredible power."

"I don't want it." Kakashi replied instantly. Orochimaru chuckled.

"I know." He tried his best to give the boy a sympathetic smile, to get him to open up and give him some feelings he could manipulate. It worked.

"It just…feels wrong. I mean, Obito…he waited so long to awaken his Sharingan, and I…" Kakashi sighed. "I just rubbed my own genius in his face. And all the time, he was the better shinobi."

Orochimaru smiled again. "I don't think that's true. You survived, didn't you?"

Kakashi sniffed pathetically. "Only because he gave his life for me. I'm the one that should have died. I would have left Rin to die at enemy hands if Obito hadn't shamed me out of it. I deserved to die for that, I would have died, but Obito…he was the one who went after Rin, I only followed him. And then, he died to save me; he even gave me his eye to replace the one I lost." He tore the goggles off angrily. "I took his life and his Sharingan, and you want me to consider it a _gift!_" He glared up at Orochimaru in barely masked rage, all traces of stoicism gone.

_Oh, I **have** chosen well,_ Orochimaru thought. _His anger will suit my purposes nicely._

"Would you have died to save Rin?" he asked softly.

Kakashi looked shocked. "Without a second thought."

"Would you have died to save Obito?"

"Yes…"

"Then why does it seem wrong for him to do the same for you?"

Inwardly, he smirked to himself, pleased at how easily he had managed to manipulate Kakashi into revealing his own feelings. This prey was easier than any other—he was so conflicted, so unsure of what he had done that he would play right into Orochimaru's hands.

"I was the team leader," Kakashi said finally. "I was responsible for their lives and the mission. It was my duty. And now he's dead because I failed to do my duty."

_Guilt…this is good, very good…_

Orochimaru tried his best to look understanding.

"Kakashi," He put his hand on the young shinobi's shoulder. "Don't ever regret what you did. There are times when we ninja are forced to make difficult decisions, ones where the cost may be more than you ever thought it would be. But you made your choice, as did Obito, and no one can blame you for that. It wasn't your fault, Kakashi," he finished in a gentle tone.

Kakashi nodded slowly.

"And between you and me," Orochimaru whispered conspiratorially. "There are ways to thwart death."

And then he was gone, moving through the forest at high speed, back towards the village, leaving Kakashi behind him, alone and confused.

_The bait is set,_ he silently congratulated himself. _He'll do exactly what I want, and I'll finally have the Sharingan!

* * *

_

Sasori studied the young boy, Hatake Kakashi. He understand Orochimaru's plan now almost too clearly, and against his will he pitied the young boy.

_He doesn't understand any of this,_ he thought. He could see behind the stoic front; Kakashi was profoundly confused by the legendary Orochimaru's sudden interest, and angry at being tricked into revealing his own doubts and guilt.

_Oh well. This isn't my problem._

He melted silently back into the shadows for the long journey home, where his leader waited for his report.

* * *

"You can come out now, Pakkun."

The ground at Kakashi's feet split open to reveal one of the Ninja Dogs, a small pug called Pakkun.

"What do you make of that, eh Kakashi?" Pakkun asked, shaking dirt off. He was the only one of the dogs with the ability to speak, and was therefore well-suited to this sort of spying work.

"He want something," Kakashi thought aloud. "He wants something from me; otherwise, he would never have given me a second thought."

"I agree. He's too smooth, too patronizing. There's something about him that doesn't smell right."

Kakashi chuckled. "Always trust the nose, hmm?"

"Exactly."

"He could just be trying to be kind."

"Could be."

"Yeah."

"Better safe than sorry, though."

"How cliché." The humor faded from Kakashi's face. "He's good, though. Did you see how easily he got me to explode?"

"Yeah…that was a bit of a shock. I think you should ask your Sensei about him."

"Good idea."

"All my ideas are good. Now can we go home?"

Kakashi laughed again. "Of course."

The slipped off into the night, taking care to avoid being seen, detected, or tracked—just in case. Kakashi, however, couldn't shake the feeling that something was stalking him, haunting his every move, though neither he nor Pakkun could find anything out of the ordinary.

Because who really would consider a snake out of ordinary in a forest?


	4. Masks and Maidens

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto. I'm thinking of getting Masashi to let me have Kakashi, though...

**A/N: This took forever to write and even longer to put up! It's all because of my stupid summer reading. _Guns, Germs, and Steel..._honestly, it's a miracle I made it through without putting a bullet through my brain. MAN! that book is soooooooooo boring.**

**This hasn't deleted itself yet, YAY! It's done that twice! But many thanks to everyone who reviewed! Of the three times this has been posted, I have about 20ish reviews! Keep reviewing!**

**Anyway, because of that, this might be the last chapter for awhile. For I am running out of ideas! I know the ending, but...it's always the middle part. At some point, though, Jiraiya has to show up, just because I think he's cool.

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"Mister Kakashi, sir…"

Kakashi never took his eyes off the memorial stone. "Yes?"

"Daddy wants me to give you a message!"

Smiling slightly, Kakashi knelt down to look the little boy in the eyes.

"You're Uchiha Itachi, right?"

The little boy smiled. He was only about three or four, with the typical dark hair and eyes of the Uchiha clan. Kakashi guessed that, when he got older, he'd be the typical Uchiha heartbreak too, like the rest of his family.

"Daddy wants you to come see him." Itachi tugged at his hand impatiently. "Come on, Mister Kakashi!"

"Right now?" Kakashi wondered aloud. Itachi pulled harder, trying to get him to move.

"Yes, now!" the little boy cried. "Come on, let's go!"

They moved back out into the city, the little boy leading the teenager through the crowded streets at a run. People stopped what they were doing to watch, smiling at the sight.

"That's Hatake Kakashi!" somebody whispered in the crowd.

_I can hear you!_ Kakashi felt like screaming. It seemed so foolish to him that they would talk about him like that where he could hear them—didn't they know he'd catch every word? But he didn't yell, didn't confront them. Shinobi were forbidden from showing emotion, and Itachi looked so happy and proud of himself; Kakashi didn't have the heart to spoil it for him.

"Wow, Itachi!" said one little girl. "That's so cool!"

Itachi puffed out his chest, strutting his stuff…and tripped over his own feet. His face contorted, and tears began to pour down his cheeks.

"It doesn't look that bad," Kakashi examined his foot. "It's just a twisted ankle. Do you want me to give you a piggy back ride home?"

Itachi's eyes got very wide. "Do you mean it?"

Kakashi nodded. "That way, you won't have to walk on it and hurt yourself even more."

Itachi looked thrilled. He climbed up onto Kakashi's back and beamed out at the world, no longer upset.

"So what does your father want to talk to me about?" Kakashi asked him.

"I dunno," Itachi replied. "The Sharingan, I think." He paused. "What's it like, having it?"

"Weird."

And it was. He could see the future movements of those around him, predict where they would go, see their flow of chakra. Against his normal vision, the effect was enough to make him constantly dizzy and disoriented. He took great effort to hide it, though, from everyone—especially Rin. He could never forgive himself if he caused her to worry.

"Turn right here," Itachi pointed the way with one chubby finger.

Uchiha Mikoto, Itachi's mother, was waiting for them at the gate, shielding her eyes from the sun with one long, pale hand.

"Hello, Kakashi!" she called, smiling and waving. "Are you hungry? We're about to have lunch!"

"YAY!" Itachi yelled, bouncing up and down, nearly causing Kakashi to drop him.

"No, thank you, ma'am." He set Itachi down carefully on the road, where he continued to jump around. "He twisted his ankle, so I carried him home. But it seems it got better."

"Thank you." Mikoto picked up her son. "My husband is waiting for you inside, in his office."

He followed her into the house, laughing silently at the faces Itachi made at him over Mikoto's shoulder.

"He's through there," she said, gesturing to a door to her right. "Come, Itachi, let's have a look at your foot."

The room beyond the door was a spacious office, or would have been, if not for the bookshelves crowded into every spare inch of the room. They were full of files, books, and random stacks of paper. Wedged into a corner of the room was a small desk, and behind it, the raven-haired head of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Fugaku. Kakashi didn't know much about him, apart from the fact that he headed the police force of Konohagakure.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" he asked.

The man glanced up at him from the file in his hands. "OH! Kakashi, yes, I did. About your Sharingan."

Kakashi got the feeling that he was supposed to reply to this in some form, but he couldn't think of anything to say. An awkward silence fell in the room for a few minutes until Fugaku spoke again.

"Your Sharingan is constantly active, correct?"

Kakashi nodded.

Fugaku sighed heavily and buried his face in his hands. "I was afraid of that. Kakashi…since Obito gave you his eye, have you been getting tired more easily?"

Kakashi considered this, thinking about everything that had happened in the past couple weeks—how he had collapsed out of sheer exhaustion nearly twenty times at both the memorial stone and at home, and once in the streets. He had thought it was simply the effects of his sorrow and depression were having on his body, of containing tears and choking back sobs; he had forgotten how many times he had started awake from nightmares about that day, only to collapse once more into fitful, dream-filled sleep.

"Yes," he replied finally. "But I never thought that it had anything to with the Sharingan. I _don't_ believe it, really."

"Like any other jutsu, the Sharingan requires chakra to power it. Without realizing, you've been continually using up your chakra and putting yourself in a constant state of near-collapse." he explained. "You'll have to start covering it up."

Kakashi gaped at him.

"Cover it up…? With what?"

Fugaku shrugged. "I don't know, Kakashi. An eyepatch? Start a new fashion trend."

Surprisingly, Kakashi was not thrilled by the suggestion. (A/N: that was sarcasm, by the way) "Isn't there anything else?" He reached up and pulled down his headband, until it covered his left eye and the Sharingan. "Will this work instead?"

The older man smiled. "That's perfect."

The walk home was easier than Kakashi had expected, but was not without its problems. He now had a very large blind spot that seemed to be constantly attacked by the people around him; he kept running into things and bumping into people without realizing.

_Damn it, Obito_, he thought. _I know you meant well, but this is just one more problem I don't want to deal with right now._

"Kakashi."

He froze instantly at the sound of the familiar voice. His heart beat very hard, very fast without warning, while all around him the air seemed to grow hot and cold by turns. Was it panic at finally having to see her after all that had happened? Or was it something else?

"You've been avoiding me."

She fell into step at his side, gently steering him away from anything he could run into.

"I haven't."

"You're a liar, Kakashi, and not a very good one either."

He smiled ruefully. "Maybe."

She turned him forcefully to face her, her blue eyes burning with rage.

"Are we ever going to talk about it? Or are you just going to avoid the whole thing for the rest of your life?"

He swallowed hard. "Rin, I'm not avoiding anything…"

"Liar!" She shoved him hard in the chest. He stumbled, and fell over backwards hard into a puddle.

"You just don't understand, do you?" she snarled angrily. "You don't get it at all."

"I have a feeling I'm missing something here." He snapped back. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Everything!" She buried her face in her hands. "Everything's been wrong…since…since he died."

Kakashi looked down at his hands, at the ground, at anything but Rin.

"He loved you, you know."

She nodded. "Yeah."

"That's why…"

"Don't start. Please."

He pushed himself to his feet and went to her, pulling her into a hug.

"It's okay, Rin." He whispered. "I swear, it'll be okay."

She shook her head. "No, it's not. You don't understand."

"What don't I understand?"

It happened so fast that Kakashi barely understood what was going on. Somehow, his mask was off, pulled down around his chin, and she was kissing him. With all the shocking and strange things that had happened to him in his life, this topped the list. What was he supposed to do? Kiss her back? Stand here and let her get it over with? Did he want her kissing him? His brain seemed to have temporarily shut down.

Finally, she pulled away.

"That's what you don't understand." she said softly, and walked away.

Leaving him to stand there alone in the street, his heart beating hard and fast, unable to understand what had just happened to him.

* * *

**Me, being evil and bored--that's this chapter. When I started writing this chapter it was Gai and not Itachi who came to get Kakashi...but I was having problems keeping Gai in character. So THAT got scratched!**

**I have no idea if I'm going to make this a Rin/Kakashi sort of deal...my thought it is probably not.But like I said, I'm running out of ideas and it might create some big drama for the ending (considering I have that planned, at least)**

**Anyone with any ideas, please send them in! So I can keep writing this story!**

**In the meantime, I'll go work on my new Envy story and desperately try to answer questions for _Guns, Germs, and Steel_...**

**...damn AP World History...**


	5. A Turn of Fate

**I'm sorry this took me so long to update! I had band camp and summer reading to finish and the first week of school was hectic...the Florida school system sucks for sending us back so early. We started JULY 31, can you believe it? **

**Kudos to Hayles for providing me with plot ideas and Icy Fyre for the 4th's name…or what I'm using as the Fourth's name.

* * *

**

"I want to take Kakashi as my apprentice."

The Third Hokage was used to surprising demands, but this one was far more unusual than most. For Orochimaru, anyway. He typically refused to take on apprentices, despite becoming Mitarashi Anko's sensei—a decision that had shocked them all. But for him to willingly step forward like he just had was unheard of, unthinkable.

"Kakashi is already the student of Arashi Kazama," he replied calmly, masking his shock. "To take him on as an apprentice, you would need his approval."

Orochimaru's mouth twisted into a horrible snarl; he made no secret of his distaste for the younger shinobi.

"I could talk to him for you," the Hokage offered. "I know you two don't get along."

Orochimaru smiled. "Thank you, Sarutobi-sensei. You don't know how much this means to me."

The Hokage smiled too. "For my favorite student, a small favor like this is no matter."

As he watched the younger man leave his office, he was filled with the feeling that maybe things were finally beginning to return to normal after so long, that Konoha had entered a new era after so long a way.

_Perhaps I was wrong about him,_ he thought. _Perhaps he is the right one to succeed me after all.

* * *

_

"I don't like it, Jiraiya." Arashi argued with his old teacher. "I have nothing but respect for Orochimaru, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to hand over one of my students to him."

Jiraiya stared out the window absentmindedly. "I wonder if Tsunade is in town…"

"Are you even LISTENING?.!"

The big white-haired man studied the young blond across from him, his spiky hair mussed, the coat thrown hastily over his jonin outfit, and his wide eyes both angry and worried all at once.

"Relax, Arashi." He smiled slightly. "I know Orochimaur. He won't do anything to hurt Kakashi."

"Kakashi is already a jonin; he doesn't need more training." Arashi retorted.

"There's always more he can learn," Jiraiya countered. "Just like you could still learn a few things from me, old student of mine."

Arashi glared at him. "It's not the same."

"It is the same, and you're being ridiculous."

"You don't think that maybe he has his own reasons for this? Some motive we don't understand?"

Jiraiya laughed so hard he nearly choked on his sake. "Everyone has a motive for what they do, Arashi."

Arashi looked doubtful "So you trust him, then?"

"Of course. He's my best friend." Even as he said this, though, a dark shadow fell over his pale face…was it doubt? Suspicion?

Arashi didn't notice his unease. "I would just feel better if he were learning under you."

Jiraiya smiled into his sake and failed to respond.

* * *

"Orochimaru? Are you serious?"

Kakashi nodded solemnly.

Sarutobi Asuma whistled softly. "Damn! That's an honor, man."

"I don't know about that…" Gai argued. "He's pretty creepy, that guy."

"Reminds me of a snake." added Ibiki. "He's not human, Kakashi."

"Look, it's not like I chose this!" Kakashi protested. "The Hokage said it would be good for me to do this, and Sensei couldn't talk him out of it."

"I wouldn't want to be you, though." Ibiki said. "No matter what the benefits are, nothing could persuade me to do this."

Kakashi sighed. "Thanks for the encouragement, guys."

"Hatake Kakashi!" called a soft voice.

The four boys spun around all at once, shocked by the sudden intruder in their conversation. Orochimaru stood there, a strange smile on his face.

"It is time, Hatake Kakashi." He beckoned with one long, grey hand.

Kakashi swallowed hard, paralyzingly aware of the sudden fear that coursed through his body. He took a slow step forward, then another, forcing his body to move forward though his mind screamed for him to stop.

"Good luck," Asuma whispered behind him.

* * *

"Orochimaru…hmmm…sounds interesting, yeah."

"Did I ask your opinion, Deidara?"

"No, boss, I'm sorry…yeah…"

"Sasori, you will go to Orochimaru and make him the offer of joining our group."

Sasori bowed slightly. "As you wish, sir."

"Why do you want him to do that, yeah?"

Sasori rolled his eyes at the other Akatsuki member. "Because what he is doing will get him banished from Konoha soon."

"Oh…that makes sense, yeah."

* * *

**This was written really fast, because I'm about to get kicked off my comp...but the next chapter is where the real action starts. Anyone with random plot ideas they want me to throw in, suggestions, comments, I'd appreciate them!**


	6. The Cost and Reward of Failure

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, I do not own Naruto.

**I realized after I posted the last chapter that I made a small mistake at the very end! AUGH! After I had tried so hard to make it mostly accurate! With Deidara, of all characters! See, Deidara can't be any older than early 30s, at the most…which would make him a few years older than Kakashi and them. And his only partner since he joined the Akatsuki was Sasori. So in order for him to be a part of this story he'd have to be at the very oldest 17 or 18, which seems a little young to me to be such a hardened criminal and joining such an organization (although you never know…Itachi did it). But Sasori's original partner was Orochimaru…so you see now how I have messed up!**

**Deidara: You should be ashamed, Kari…yeah**

**Kari: I didn't ask your opinion! I already know I messed up pretty bad (gets depressed)…go make something blow up, it'll cheer me up.**

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Kakashi ran madly through the forest, desperately seeking to put distance between himself and his pursuer. The branches whipped his face and torso as he jumped at breakneck speed through them, thinking of nothing but putting enough distance between the two of them to be able to prepare some sort of counterattack.

_How is he doing it?_ Kakashi wondered. _He moves so fast…how am I supposed to be able to copy his jutsus if I can barely see his hand seals?_

Seeing an opportunity, he dove down from the trees to a small hollow located between the roots of a particularly large tree. Quickly, he produced a shadow before crawling into the dark hole to wait. His clone meanwhile busied itself with setting booby traps, as many as possible, some obvious, some not.

_I hope this works_, he thought desperately. _I don't have much chakra left._

The clone hid itself high above in the tree and they waited. Kakashi slowed his breathing, slowed his heartbeat, made sure he drew as little air as possible, stopped moving, trying so hard to make sure he was unnoticeable. If he failed yet again…he shuddered involuntarily at the thought.

"Oh, Kakashi…" came the sing-song voice, so sweetly sickening. "Come out, Kakashi…this running and hiding isn't very shinobi-like, you know…"

Kakashi swallowed hard and buried himself deeper in the little hole he had found.

_Please…please let this work…please…_

Footsteps, coming ever closer…

_Just a little farther…just a little farther…_

…they stop, just short of the tree, and he waits with bated breath, daring to hope that his plan can be carried out…

"Well, what's this?" the voice whispers to itself, more amused than anything else. "A trap? How pathetic. Is this really the best you can do, Kakashi?"

The sound of a kunai being drawn, and the trap is sprung.

_That trap was invisible…_Sweat runs down Kakashi's face beneath the mask. _How did he…_

Something brushes against his hand, something that feels suspiciously cold and strange to the touch. He attempted to push it away, only to have it wrap itself around his hand, sliding up his arm, and he realized it was ALIVE.

And then the snake's breath was hissing in his ear, and it was all he could do to stay still, though panic was running rampant through his body.

_Don't move…don't move…_ He shuddered slightly as its tongue tickled against his skin.

Fangs, sinking deep into his shoulder made him cry out. Poison flooded into his body, racing through his veins as the snake wound down his arm and slithered over to Orochimaru.

"Good work," the older ninja told his summoning. "You should come out now, Kakashi."

Kakashi reluctantly climbed out of the hollow, clutching his shoulder as he did so.

"That was extremely ill-thought out, Kakashi." The grey-skinned man frowned.

"I…I…" He doubled over as a wave of pain swept outward through his body. "I'm sorry, Orochimaru-sensei…" He sank to his knees and bent his head to the ground, trying to gain some control over his own body.

Orochimaru bent down into a low crouch, gently lifting Kakashi's face so that they were eye to eye.

"You will never succeed at anything if you keep carrying on in this manner," he whispered softly. "And you will not be worth my time."

Kakashi nodded as best he could.

_Why doesn't he stop talking and just help me?_

"You should stop moving," Orochimaru advised. "The poison won't kill you, but if you keep moving around like that, you'll only make the pain worse. It should pass, though, in a few hours."

Kakashi moaned softly.

"Come back to the village when you feel better," Orochimaru began to walk away. "You can take the rest of the week off. I've got a mission and I can't be bothered with taking you along."

And the world slipped into blackness as he watched his new sensei's back growing farther and farther away, leaving him alone in the forest.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey, kid, you alright?"

His eyes opened to bright sunlight, outlining the form of an extremely large man.

"Snake…poison…Orochimaru…he left me…" Kakashi mumbled softly.

"Orochimaru?" He could hear the frown in the other man's voice. "Damn…that asshole. You've been out here since yesterday afternoon."

"What?" Kakashi squinted against the sun, trying to take in the other's appearance.

"He told us you had stayed out here to train. I didn't think he would actually leave you behind like this. What'd you do to deserve this?"

"Failed one of his tests."

"…oh…"

The man sighed. "I think he gets more delusional as the years go on. You need some help, kid?"

Kakashi shook his head as he pushed himself to his feet. "I'm ok, thanks."

The man was tall, incredibly tall, and big, with broad shoulders and chest hidden by baggy clothing. His white hair fell down nearly to his knees, and red marks ran from his eyes down his cheeks.

"You're Arashi's student." the man said. "Hatake Kakashi, right?"

Kakashi sighed. The other man laughed.

"Yeah, you probably get tired of this." He held out his hand. "I'm Jiraiya."

Kakashi's eyes widened. "_The_ Jiraiya? Of the Legendary Three?"

Jiraiya laughed. "The one and only." They shook hands. "Come on, I'll go with you back to the village."

They walked through the forest in companionable silence for awhile, until Kakashi dared to ask:

"Was Orochimaru-sensei always this harsh?"

Jiraiya laughed. "Yes. He was always the best in our team, the farthest ahead of all of us. And he expects absolute perfection from everyone." He smiled. "But deep down…he really is a good person."

Kakashi's face must have betrayed his doubt, because Jiraiya began to laugh harder. "I know you don't think so, but believe me, when you get to know him better, you'll understand."

"If you say so…" Kakashi muttered to himself.

At the village gates Jiraiya stopped.

"I've got to go submit my report," he said. "Can you make it home on your own?"

Kakashi frowned. "I'm not a child."

"Oh no?" There was a wicked smile on Jiraiya's face. "Then perhaps you wouldn't mind reading this for me!"

In a flash he had whipped out a small, leather-bound book.

"It's the manuscript of my novel that will be published soon!" he cried enthusiastically. "Read it and tell me what you think!"

"Um…" Kakashi took the book hesitantly. "Ok…thanks…" He opened the front cover and read:

_**Come-come Paradise**_

_Interesting…_he thought, burying his nose in the book as he made his way home. _Very interesting…_

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"Oh dear…"

Orochimaru surveyed his test subjects, sprawled on the medical tables of his hidden lab.

"And not one survived…" he mused. "Well, that is a shame. So this soul-transfer jutsu is a failure."

He smiled slightly and brushed his hair away from his face, pulling out a new scroll that contained a fresh new body of a newly-murdered Konoha chuunin.

"Well, my dear," he said gallantly to the corpse. "Thank you for giving up your life so easily to me. After all, we must have everything perfect for when Kakashi is ready to be my new container."

He picked up a scalpel.

"It wouldn't do to destroy such a perfect specimen, now would it?"

Laughing to himself, he began his gory work, immersed in blood and dreams of a dark and nightmarish future.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**I'm sorry it takes me so long to update. But they're piling on shitloads of work at school (particularly my chem teacher) and I can't seem to get anything done, whether it's writing fanfics or just regular writing projects of my own**

**I'll try to be faster next time**

**Deidara: You'd better, Kari...yeah...or else...**

**Kari: I'm too tired to fight with you...there's still homework to be done... (sigh)**


	7. Things In Motion, Things Hidden

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own it

**This is the revised version of the seventh chapter. After looking it over, I decided that I needed to make it flow a little bit better, so I decided to revise this before moving on. Expect Chapter Eight in a few days!

* * *

**

Kakashi had never felt worse in his life. Two days after his forest training with Orochimaru, and he couldn't shake the nasty feeling that followed him. He was perpetually cold, and his stomach kept jerking in unpleasant ways. In his "teacher"'s absence he had thought that he would be able to train a little bit without the constant pressure of Orochimaru, but something in him told him it was a lost cause. On today of all days, too, when the next Hokage would be announced and put in office…

"I think I'm going to be sick…"

Maito Gai, taijutsu expert and Kakashi's "rival", looked at him in absolute shock.

"What, Kakashi, losing your touch already?"

Kakashi glared at him through his one uncovered eye. "Don't be an ass, Gai. I'm not in the mood to play these games today." His stomach twisted again, uncomfortably, and he doubled over in pain.

"What's the matter with you?" Gai asked, bending down to support his friend. "You look positively awful. Look, your skin's all clammy."

Kakashi shook his head. "I'll be fine, Gai."

"Liar. What's going on?"

Kakashi sighed. "I got bit by a snake a few days ago. One of Orochimaru's summonings."

"Kakashi! That's bad! Don't you know anything?" At the blank look on Kakashi's face, Gai continued. "Those snakes have some sort of poison in them…"

"No kidding..." Kakashi growled, but Gai talked over him.

"…and if you don't get it out in time…you die."

Kakashi gaped at him. "But…Orochimaru-sensei said it wouldn't kill me…"

"Oh, and you believed him? Come on, stand up. Let's get you to a medic."

They made their way as quickly as possible through the crowded streets of Konoha, Gai half-carrying Kakashi. He could have moved him faster, jumping across the rooftops as they did in the trees on missions, but he was afraid of the effect that would have on his friend. He was afraid he would only make things worse.

"Gai! Kakashi!"

It was Arashi, waving them down, smile bright in the sun.

"Have you heard the good news? The Hokage announced his successor…"

"Arashi-sensei!" Gai called. "Kakashi's in trouble! He's been poisoned! Is Rin with you? He needs treatment right away!"

Through the fog in his brain Kakashi heard the name "Rin" and grew inexplicably afraid, though he was hard-pressed to explain why. It was one of those feelings he got, the kind that told him something was going to go very wrong, a feeling that had no basis in any sort of reality, but had always proved to be right.

"Well, that's what I was coming to talk to you guys about," said Arashi, moving towards them. "You wouldn't know where she is, would you? Because nobody's seen Rin in three days!"

* * *

**That night…**

Orochimaru sighed, setting aside his tools and rubbing his temples. Yet another failure in his quest for immortality. He looked down at the butchered body of the Konoha jounin and smiled ruefully.

"Well, my friend. Looks like you aren't strong enough to cut it."

"Talking to yourself again?"

It was Sasori. He leaned against the open doorway, surveying the room of corpses with his doll's eyes, taking note of everything.

"Out of idle curiousity, what are you doing here?" Orochimaru snapped, a bit harsher than he would have liked.

"Don't be angry," said Sasori smoothly. Inwardly Orochimaru shuddered; Sasori's voice sounded like poison to him, like the spider calling flies to its web. "I've come to ask you if you've considered the leader's offer."

"I have," Orochimaru replied. "And I am hesitant about accepting."

Sasori smiled. "Now, that is interesting. Shall I tell you something even more interesting?"

"If you wish."

"It won't be long before they're on to you. So if I were you, I would finish up what I'm doing very fast and leave, before they catch you."

"I'm afraid I can't possibly do that." Orochimaru smiled wickedly. "Come with me. I'll show you why."

Sasori cocked an eyebrow but followed him quietly, his footfalls making no sound on the rough stone floor. Orochimaru paused for a moment, studying him, and then reached out to open a door directly to the left of Sasori, hidden in the wall.

"The other experiment is really no matter—it's all about finding the right container, and I think I've done that. However, this experiment I cannot simply abandon."

The room was white, all of it, filled with children of varying degrees of age, hooked up to machines and tubes, all of them unconscious. Sasori paused over one, a girl of about twelve, with triangle markings on her cheek.

"Gene-splicing," said Orochimaru simply.

Sasori smiled. "You are going to be in a very great deal of trouble when they find out, Orochimaru."

He shrugged. "I'm not too worried. Being the Hokage's golden boy has its advantages.

"And yet he elected somebody besides you to be the Fourth?"

Orochimaru froze. "What?"

Sasori laughed. "They're celebrating in the streets, Orochimaru, for the next Hokage. And it isn't you."

He pushed past Orochimaru, black cloak billowing behind him.

"One more thing," he called over his shoulder. "That boy that you're training survived your injection. So now you've got your container, yes?"

Orochimaru didn't hear him. He slumped against the wall, alone in the shadows, contemplating what was his latest and greatest failure yet—the failure to become the next Hokage.

* * *

"Hey, Kakashi!" Gai laughed. "You're all right!" 

In the confusion of the day he had forgotten that tonight was the night the Hokage announced his successor, but Kakashi was glad it was his teacher. He couldn't think of a better candidate, a more wise and brilliant leader. He was glad to be out of the hospital, too. They had been unable to detect any poison in his body and, with a lack of the symptoms that had previously ailed him, had decided to let him go.

"Yeah," Kakashi replied, making room on the bench for Gai. "I was fine by the time we got to the hospital. They said there wasn't any poison left in me."

Gai smiled. "Well, that's good! Come and party then! Kurenai and Asuma are waiting for us."

"Alright, alright." Kakashi pushed him away. "Give me a minute, would you?"

"OK, but hurry up!"

Gai dashed off, back into the crowds, leaving Kakashi alone on his bench. He stared up at the stars for a minute, feeling suddenly the weight of the isolation he carried all by himself.

"Rin," he whispered. "Where the hell are you?"

* * *

In Orochimaru's laboratory, the girl Sasori had stood over, the girl with triangle markings on her cheeks, breathed one last heavy sigh as her heart stopped.

* * *

**New chapter soon! Things will really get cooking! I promise! There'll be drama, action, betrayal! Even...death!**

**Can't wait, can you?**


End file.
